Tissue paper flower pens are a fun, inexpensive and easy way to make someone a gift from the heart. For less than $1.00 per pen, you can create a festive keepsake that’s sure to make them smile—without breaking your wallet. And the best news is, you don’t have to be super crafty to make one!

Here’s what you’ll need:

Pens (straight ones without a clip work the best)

Tissue paper

Curling ribbon

Double-sided tape

Scissors

Lay a single piece of tissue paper flat and smooth it out. Fold it in half four times, smoothing it out each time to avoid wrinkles.

Take your scissors and free-hand cut a cloud shape, cutting through all layers of tissue paper at the same time. It doesn’t matter if it’s perfectly symmetrical or that it resembles a perfect flower-shape. (In fact, we found that the uneven cloud-shape gives you a fuller look.)

Take your stack of petal-clouds and restack them on top of each other, flipping some of them over and rotating them around so that they’re in an uneven stack, not perfectly one-on-top of each other.

Use the tip of your pen and press down on your stack of petals. Carefully pull the petals up 2-3 layers at a time onto the handle of the pen.

Once all of the tissue paper is pulled onto the pen, wrap the flat end of the pen in double-sided tape. Pull up a single piece of tissue paper and gently press it onto the tape from several sides. Gently squeeze the tissue paper to pull it all close together.

Now you pull all of your petals a few at a time towards the end of the pen. Gently pull your petals through your thumb and index finger to smooth them out and bring the flower together.

Holding the flower between your thumb and index finger, wrap the very base of the flower in double-sided tape. Apply double-sided tape length-wise down both sides of the pen and wrap the base of it as well. Then starting at the base of the flower, wrap the pen in the green curling ribbon.

Move slowly and overlap it so that the pen is completely wrapped in ribbon. When you reach the base of the pen, cut of the excess curling ribbon. If the ribbon feels loose at the tip, you can tuck another piece of double-sided tape under the tail end of the ribbon for extra security.

And there you have it–an adorable tissue paper pen, perfect for celebrating any occasion! If you want to make a dozen, it will take about two packages of tissue paper and about a roll and a half of curling ribbon, keeping the total cost of this project under $1/pen.

The cultural celebration of Kwanzaa began in 1966, but how much do you really know about the holiday? Test your knowledge of the seven pillars of the holiday with this free printable Kwanzaa quiz we created just for you!

Want to learn more about the principles and symbols of Kwanzaa? Read more here!

November 11th is Veterans Day, a day set aside to honor all who have served in the U.S. Military. We, of course, are the most familiar with saying thank you to the veterans in our lives with cards and ecards, but this year we wanted to share a great list of other thoughtful ways to thank a veteran.

In honor of those who have served (including many of our very own American Greetings associates!), we’d like to offer a few suggestions on ways to thank a veteran:

1. At home:

Autumn Care Package Inspiration Board from Veterans United.

Sending care packages overseas to those actively serving is a well known way to thank a veteran, but what about sending a little bit of the fall season to a service member on active duty? We loved the suggestions that Veterans United put together on the spouse section of their website. It’s easy to pick up extra items during your regular shopping trip and package them at home in your spare time. Additionally, you can order free shipping boxes for military addresses from the US Post Office.

2. At work:

2014 Veterans Day poster from The Office of Veterans Affairs

Did you know that the Office of Veteran’s Affairs has created a poster every year since 1978 to recognize Veterans Day? Show your pride and gratitude in the office by printing out copies and hanging them around your workplace in honor of those who served. Download the 2014 poster and (view the full archives!) here.

3. With the kids or grandkids:

Veterans Day Bracelet Craft from No Time For Flashcards

Honoring veterans can be a family affair–and these bracelets from No Time For Flashcards are a great way to get kids involved! Besides making one to thank a veteran, they can also make one to wear themselves, serving as a daily reminder of the sacrifices made by those who serve in our armed forces.

4. Out in the community:

Your local Veterans Affairs is always in need of volunteers, drivers and donations.

5. Exercise your right to vote:

Veterans Day comes just after November elections, but use the holiday as a reminder to always do your civic duty and vote. Our service men and women have volunteered for service to protect our freedom–this small act means so much!

Each year on the third Saturday in October, card and candy-loving people in the Midwest and across the country will celebrate Sweetest Day by sharing happy notes and sweet treats. But what is Sweetest Day?

We get this question year after year–did American Greetings invent the holiday? The simple answer is no–we had nothing to do with it!

Sweetest Day was actually founded by a candy company (coincidentally also headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio) in the spirit of philanthropy during the Great Depression. Herbert Birch Kingston, often referred to as the founder of Sweetest Day, based the holiday on the premise that no matter how hectic life gets, it’s important to stop and spread cheer to not only the ill and disadvantaged, but also to friends, family, and loved ones who bring joy to daily life.

This occasion has traditionally been viewed as a Midwestern holiday, but as residents move outside of the area or send greetings to non-resident friends and family, they spread this sentimental tradition. While Ohio, Michigan and Illinois remain the top states for Sweetest Day sales, Texas, California and Florida are now listed among the top ten states celebrating the holiday.

Read the original article from The Cleveland Plain Dealer below:

The Cleveland Plain Dealer, October 8, 1922

Do you celebrate Sweetest Day? What sweet treats will you be sharing this year?

Looking for an easy, fun way to make your Memorial Day party really stand out? We spent some time perusing some fantastic blogs and came across some great Memorial Day party ideas to make any patriotic soirre sparkle!

We also thought that all of these ideas would be great to reuse for the 4th of July or Labor Day! If you make one great new item for each occasion, you’ll have a fun, patriotic collection of party goods in no time!

We hope that you and your family and friends have a wonderful Memorial Day holiday!

We can’t take credit for this one, folks! This annual holiday was created by Ruth and Thomas Roy of Wellcat Hollidays in Lebanon, PA in honor of all the complaining and just plain cranky coworkers you have to endure all year–this is the day to let them go with it and enjoy their miseries.So, if the lady next to you is always cursing up a storm or the guy in cubicle B is always banging his head on the keyboard, here’s your chance to let loose and get in the action and stir up some crankiness of your own:

Turn that smile upside-down and sign all your emails with an unhappy face.

Turn your phone volume up all the way; when you get a call, let it ring ‘til it goes to voicemail.

Don’t clean out the microwave after you use it; better yet—burn some popcorn.

Affix a Post-It on stray items reading, “This is in the way,” or place cleaning products on a communal lunch table with the tag, “Someone…Please clean up this messy lunch table!”

All kidding aside, our vote is to always kill ‘em with kindness—if you’re up to it, try some reverse psychology and do something nice. Buy some coffee or chocolate and give them to your curmudgeonly coworker. It’s sure to put a smile on their face—even if just for a day.

Gather ‘round, fellow work week warriors–National Boss’s Day is Wednesday, October 16th! We know this day is tough for a lot of office workers who struggle to figure out a good gift for their boss. And since this day tends to creep up on many a worker, we decided to put together some tips to make your last-minute Boss’s Day gift look not so last minute:

Naturally, we’re going to suggest sending a Boss’s Day ecard, paper card or printable card. You can attach a gift card for a quick, easy way to add a little extra thought into your selection. You’re welcome.

Take a spin past the water cooler to see if anyone has any brilliant ideas or wants to go in on a gift together. It’ll ease up the budget restraints and maybe someone else has heard them mention something they need. You can even run out at lunch together to power shop.

Cake. Everyone loves cake, right? Cake, cupcakes, cake pops… You can’t go wrong (as long as there are no dietary restrictions) with a stylish confectionary treat. Create a pretty display (i.e. take them out of the plastic packaging and arrange them on a cute footed platter with a cute ‘Happy Boss’s Day’ sign) and then share with the team!

Spruce up their space! Office decor items such as picture frames, trendy office supplies, or a lovely plant may be a little on the traditional side, but they help create a more relaxing environment.

Feed the soul! Find a great local restaurant and take THEM out to lunch! Having facetime with your superiors can not only help grow your professional relationship, but also allow for a more personal connection between the two of you.

Whatever you select, gift presentation counts! Pretty wrapping paper, ribbon, and a nice card with a personalized message go a long way in making any gift stand out.

Still stumped? Then forget the boss—buy for their pet! You’ll get kudos for thoughtfulness and thinking outside the box when you show their furbaby some love.

The main thing is, your boss will simply appreciate your recognition that they’re doing a good job, so any nice gesture you offer is sure to be a win-win.